Plastic shower head plungers



Filed Oct. 5, 1965 E. A. ROMAN ETAL PLASTIC SHOWER HEAD PLUNGERSINVENTORS Edward A.Roman a ArihurAmhony Fioreniino dike/KL 0m 3W FE G,

ATTORNEYS FiG.7.

March 19, 1968 FIGB.

FIG.4.'

United States Patent Ofifice 3,373,942 Patented Mar. 19, 1968 ABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE A shower head plunger made from a material havingtoughness, anti-liming, low water absorptivity and good dimensionalstability characteristics is the subject of the instant invention. Oneof the following resins is used: polycarbonate, phenoxy resin orpolyphenylene oxide.

The general object of the present invention is to provide an improvedshower head of the type disclosed in Patent No. 2,534,549, issued Dec.19, 1950. More specifically, the object of the present invention is toprovide a shower head of the above mentioned type which possesses thedesirable operating characteristics of a shower head disclosed and madeunder the above mentioned patent, but which is capable of withstandingthe deposition of mineral matter from hard water.

It is specifically an object of the present invention to provide ashower head having plungers operating through a face plate in such amanner as to control the type of discharge from the shower head.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a shower headwherein the plungers are so made as to resist the deposition of mineralmatter from water containing the same.

For a better understanding of the invention, however, its objects andadvantages obtained by its use, reference should be had to theaccompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which have beenillustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a sectional side view showing the shower head assembled withits plungers in place.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of one of the plungers.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the stem portion of the plunger.

FIG. 4 is a side view in section of the body portion of the plunger.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view on line 55 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view on line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a view in section of la modification of the plunger shown inFIG. 2.

The improved shower head shown in the drawings comprises a hollow bodyor shell 10 of bell form, provided at its upper end with a connectingmeans 11 of conventional form for attaching to a source of water (notshown). This connecting means is of the usual ball and socket type andis connected to the body 10 by means of the packing nut 13 and a watertight joint formed by packing 12. This allows the adjustment of the body10 with respect to the connecting means 11, so as to direct a stream ofwater delivered by the shower head. The connecting means has a port 15in the bottom thereof which discharges water into the central bodyportion 16 of the shower head. A face plate 17 is fitted across the openbell end of the body portion 10 and is held in watertight engagementtherewith by means of the O-ring 18. This face plate is held in positionby means of the screw bolt 19, which is received in and held by thelower threaded portion 20 of the depending open sleeve 21. Around theouter circumference of the sleeve 21 is mounted the tubular element 22having the spider 23 integrally formed on the lower end thereof. Thisspider has open slots 24 thereon. Directly below each of these slots inthe face plate 17 is an opening 25. Mounted on the spider 23 andreceived in the slot 24 and protruding through the opening 25 areplungers 28. The tubular element 22 is adjustable on the sleeve 21 bymeans of the shaft 29 having the eccentric pin 30 on the end thereof.This pin is received in and holds the tubular element 22 with itsconnected spider in spaced relationship to the face plate 17. The handleportion 31 is connected to the shaft 29 and rotates the shaft when thehandle is rotated and thereby adjusts the relationship between the faceplate and the spider.

The plastic plunger 28 is composed of the body portion 32 and the shaftportion 33.

The body portion 32 has a central opening 34 therethrough. This openinghas a ledge portion 35 near the bottom end thereof and has the grooves36 in the sides thereof.

The shaft portion 33 has a small collar 37 on the bottom end thereof andhas the plate 38 on the upper end thereof with the plate 39 therebelow,and the intermediate shaft portion 40 therebetween. Below the plate 39is the boss 41 on the shaft 33. The diameter of the boss portion 41 isexactly the diameter of the opening 34 in the body portion. The collar37 is of the same diameter as the boss portion 41.

When assembling the plungers the shaft portion 33 is inserted into thecentral opening 34 of the body portion 32 and forced therein so that thecollar '37 is forced beyond the ledge portion 35, as shown in FIG. 6,thereby holding the body portion 32 and the shaft portion 33 as oneassembled unit.

As pointed out above the plungers 28 are held On the spider 23 by meansof the open slots 24 therein, which slots receive the portion .40 ofeach plunger and the portions 38 and 39 ride over and below the spider,thereby controlling the position within the face plate of the plunger,in accordance with the position of the spider in the body portion 10 ofthe shower head.

A modification of the plunger is shown in FIG. 7, wherein the shaftportion 45 is like the shaft portion 33. The body portion 46 has thecentral opening 47 therethrough. This opening is made without a ledgeportion therein. After the shaft 45 is assembled into the body portion46 it is permanently ultrasonically welded at the point of contact 48 soas to hold the body portion and the shaft portion in rigid assembly.

The plungers 28 are molded from a thermoplastic polycarbonate. Thismaterial is non-corrosive and solves the long standing problem ofmetallic corrosion where either brass or chrome plated brass plungerscontact the face plate, as well as the area between the spider and theplungers themselves. The outstanding and unexpected resistance of theseplungers to the deposition of mineral deposits commonly found in certainsections of this country, where limestone water causes such deposits,particularly in the flow from hot water heaters, overcomes thisdifiiculty. The thermoplastic polycarbonate has dimensional stabilitythat permits its molding and its retention of the molded shape whenimmersed in water. Other materials that could be used besides thepolycarbonate referred to above, are phenoxy resins and polyphenyleneoxide. Materials that have not proven satisfactory are brass plungerswith or without nickel or chrome plating, which are corrosion resistant,but which acquire mineral deposits resulting from water flowingtherethrough. Nylon has a high water absorption, which results indimensional changes and is not suitable for use in these plungers.Acetal has a high and indefinite mold shrinkage which makes it difficultto consistently mold accurate parts. Polyethylene and polypropylene havelow tensile strength which limits their ability to withstand the forcesimposed by high water pressure.

While in accordance with the provision of the statutes there has beendescribed and illustrated the best form of embodiment of this invention,now known, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changesmay be made in the form of the apparatus disclosed without departingfrom the spirit of this invention, as set forth in the appended claims,and that in some cases certain features may be used to advantage withouta corresponding use of other features.

What is claimed is:

1. In a spray head having a hollow body with a face plate at one endthereof with an opening therein, a plunger variably positioned in theopening comprising:

(a) a generally cylindrical shaft portion having an upper end with meansfor attaching Said shaft pOrtion to a means for adjusting the plungerwithin the opening, a boss of greater diameter below said means, and alower end having a collar thereon whose diameter corresponds to that ofthe bOSs; and (b) a body portion having a cross section different fromthe cross-section of the opening at a given position to permit fluid topass thru the opening in a controlled spray pattern and a central boretherethrough with a ledge portion near the bottom thereof whereby thecollar of the shaft is retained by the ledge to form an integral,unitary plunger. 2. The spray head as recited in claim 1 wherein the 5plunger is made of polycarbonate.

3. The spray head as recited in claim 1 wherein the plunger is made ofphenoxy resin.

4. The spray head as recited in claim 1 wherein the plunger is made ofpolyphenylene oxide.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Polycarbonates,by W. F. Christopher and D. W. Fox, pages 6, 7, 8, 9, 52, 53.

25 EVERETT W. KIRBY, Primary Examiner.

